Hounslow will be proposing a zero percent increase in council tax for the next financial year, the borough's leader has announced.

In a statement, Councillor Peter Thompson said: "I am pleased to be recommending absolutely no increase in Hounslow's share of the Council Tax."

The move - said to be the first time the council has not increased taxes at all - will only be confirmed after a special meeting on Tuesday night where the authority's budget for 2007/08 will be set.

Further cuts will be discussed at the meeting but by Friday afternoon the council had still not released details of the proposals.

Leading Conservative councillors have been pursuing a multi-million pound budget reduction programme over the last three months in a bid to impose the zero increase.

In December, Coun Thompson announced that the council wanted to cut £10million from its budget and get rid of 100 council positions before March.

So far, around £6.4million in budget reduction proposals' have been swiftly approved.

In his statement, Coun Thompson said: "We stated from the outset that we want to be a lower tax authority, as we believe that Government, as a whole should tax less and deliver more for people's money. We are clear that we want to see a fair level of council tax with money being spent wisely on front-line essential services and not wasted on expensive overheads, inefficiency and duplication.

"We have worked hard to put together a budget that delivers a more efficient council whilst maintaining key services at no extra cost to our residents.

"Improving our service remains our priority and we will keep working hard on behalf of local people to transform Hounslow Council into an authority that delivers on local priorities and does so efficiently and effectively.

"I hope that residents will recognise that we are moving in the right direction and delivering better value for money."

Residents' bills will still rise this year due to a 5.3 per cent increase in the precept amount collected by London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Coun Thompson had harsh words for Mayor Livingstone. "Despite our hard work, we have no control over the Mayor of London increasing his part of the council tax precept above the rate of inflation - and it's our residents who suffer," he said. "All the increase in this year's Council Tax will be due to his increased spending that is taking more and more of Hounslow residents' hard earned money."

A recent report by consultants Knox d'Arcy found that Hounslow Council wastes almost £10million every year through overstaffing, work duplication and ineffiency.

In response, councillors committed themselves to a two-year programme of consultation and change which could see up to 300 more jobs go at the council.